Scholars defend Polish Holocaust researcher targeted by govt

By VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Scholars and historical institutions from around the world are coming to the defense of a Polish researcher. The scholar, Barbara Engelking, is under fire from her country’s authorities after claiming that Poles could have done more to help Jews during the Holocaust. Engelking said during a televised interview last week that Polish Jews felt disappointed in Poles during the war, referring to what she described as “widespread blackmailing” of Jews by Poles during the Nazi German occupation of the country during World War II. Poland’s conservative government and conservative media accuse her of distorting the historical record and not giving due credit to the Poles who risked their lives to help Jews.